Kelly Sullivan Leaving GENERAL HOSPITAL (Updated)

Multiple sources confirm to Soap Opera Digest that Kelly Sullivan, who took over the role of GH's Kate Howard in 2011, will be exiting as Kate's integrated persona, Connie.

This week's GH promo featured Connie and Olivia and their potential love triangle with Sonny (Maurice Benard).

GH has had an influx of new characters and stories in recent weeks which, on a daytime soap opera, tends to mend existing characters are on the way out. Stay tuned.

UPDATE:
Sullivan confirmed her GH exit on Facebook and Twitter.

Thank you all so much for your support and loyalty. You are my life long family and I cannot express how much I appreciate each of you. You have really made my experience here on GH a wonderful adventure.
I wanted to fill you all in on the details and try to answer some of your questions.
I am not returning to GH after August.
This is not a contract issue, I have been written off the show.
I do not have any information on potential Daytime opportunities.
Lastly, I have no ill feelings towards any of the staff or crew connected to the show or the network. I will miss everyone dearly.
Love, Kelly

Benard reacted on Twitter to the news: "This is all I'm gonna say. When an actress with that kind of ability and talent leaves the show, it hurts."

Really they are putting too many people on there and taking away from the actors that have been on there a long time. I sure hope they stop this because people are getting agrivated with all this change.

Kelly is a fantastic actress and I'll be sad too see her go. The cast really hasn't got any bigger since the anniversary though, since Kiki/Franco/Silas were already on the show, just as different characters. Brit and all the nurses were all already there as well, I think it's the fact that Franco/Kiki/Silas have such bigger story-lines, than they did as their previous characters.

I agree with Chip 100%, GH's canvas has far too many characters, many unnecessary. I do not enjoy Franco, Kiki or Silas. They add nothing but subtract quite a bit. It appears that ego drove TPTB to create new characters for the actors when there is no need. For every one good decision TPTB makes, there are 3-4 bad ones!

As far as Kelly Sullivan's exit, I think she is a capable actress but the character(s) had the one story (DID) and it's over. The actress shared zero chemistry with Maurice Benard onscreen.

General Hospital is going downhill fast. It has gotten so boring and letting someone as talented as Kelly Sullivan go is just ridiculous. Would not be surprised if the show is cancelled soon and it will be producer and writers fault.

What happens when Monica shows up at "her house, cause Alan gave it to her" and sees all these strange people. She's just going to say "Welcome"???

Luke has radiation poisoning. How long before he finds Robin with Jerry Jax at that German House of Horrors???? Just long enough for Patrick and What's her name to get the heat on...and then vaboom.....here's Robin!

I think that Kate/Connie/Kelly was a good story line. Kelly is a great actress that did a fantastic job playing the dual role. I think the writers are ready for the next dual role and that's going to be Rogers job. I love Roger, just a great actor. I loved Kelly too, but Kate Connie must move on to One Life or All My. I would love to see her in a Spielberg movie, she is that good!

Both my husband and I thought she did the duel role perfect. What a talented actress. I can't believe they are letting her go. She is much better than some of the others. Hope to see her make it BIG. Maybe this was just a place to get her start, like many other actors who passed thru.